BOSTON - Dominic DiMaggio, one of the shining stars of a bygone Boston Red Sox era, died Friday at his home in Marion. He was 92.

Lovingly known as "The Little Professor" because he wore glasses when he played, DiMaggio became the Red Sox center fielder and leadoff hitter as a rookie in 1940, and stayed with those roles until his retirement early in the 1953 season.

He was noted for his unusual outfield style. When waiting for the pitch to be thrown, he would stand sideways in center field, rather than facing home plate.

Dom and Joe DiMaggio, at Fenway Park in 1946. Joe DiMaggio wore a Red Sox uniform for two innings in an exhibition game before his Yankees uniform arrived.

Associated PressDom DiMaggio of the Boston Red Sox, left, and his brother Joe DiMaggio of the New York Yankees are shown, in this July 12, 1949 file photo.

Like many stars of his time, he lost three years (1943-45) to World War II service at what would have been prime time in his baseball career.

A moment of silence was observed Friday night at Fenway Park for DiMaggio. His
uniform number, 7, was cut and circled in the center field grass by groundskeeper Dave Mellor.

Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak in 1941 is still the major league record. In 1949, Dominic challenged it with a 34-game streak, but it ended Aug. 9 when Joe caught a sinking line drive in the eighth inning.

Dominic had a lifelong friendship with Williams, and with two other Boston teammates, second baseman Bobby Doerr and shortstop-third baseman Johnny Pesky.

Doerr came to the Red Sox in 1937, Williams in 1939, DiMaggio in 1940, Pesky in 1942. Their years together in and out of baseball were celebrated in 2003 in David Halberstam's book, "The Teammates."

Doerr is 91 and living in his native Oregon. Pesky is 89, living near Boston and often seen in uniform at Fenway Park as an honorary coach. Williams died in 2002 at the age of 83.

In 2004, DiMaggio, Doerr
and Pesky threw ceremonial
first pitches before Game 2 of
the World Series at Fenway
Park.

"Dom was a great player, and most of all, a great friend. I will miss him terribly," Pesky said.

"His loss saddens us all, but his contributions to the glory and tradition of our ballclub will forever be etched in the annals of Red Sox history," principal owner John Henry said.

Dominic's oldest brother, Vince, played 10 years in the big leagues for five National League teams. He died in 1986. Joe, a Hall of Famer who played on nine World Series winners, died in 1999.

Emily DiMaggio, Dominic's wife of 61 years, told the Associated Press that her husband was surrounded by his family when he died at 1 a.m. Friday. He had been battling pneumonia.

"He was the most wonderful, warm, loving man. He adored his children, and we all adored him," she said.

AP PhotoDom DiMaggio watches a tribute video during the AAA All-Star Luncheon in Providence, R.I., in this July 14, 2004 file photo.

While older brother Joe was winning championships in New York, Dominic played on only one pennant winner with the Red Sox. With "The Teammates" back from World War II for the 1946 season, the Red Sox got off to a roaring 21-3 start and breezed to the pennant by 12 games.

However, they lost the World Series to the St. Louis Cardinals, and Dominic would never again get a chance at a championship ring. Instead, he was a part of powerhouse teams in 1948, 1949 and 1950 that came up short at the end.

In 1950, he had his most productive season, hitting a career high .328 and scoring 131 runs.

In 1953, at the age of 36, he chose retirement when it became clear to him that he would be a bench player because manager Lou Boudreau wanted Jim Piersall to be the No. 1 center fielder. Injuries also hastened his retirement decision.

Later in his life, Dominic used another talent - as a lover of mathematics - to help him in a successful business career.

"The stock market was his passion," his son, Dominic Paul, told the Associated Press. "He'd watch the stock ticker all day and the Red Sox all night."

In 1995, "The Little Professor" was elected to the Red Sox Hall of Fame. In 1967, he helped with the formation of the Bosox Club, a booster organization, and became its first president.